Lashing Winds
Lashing Winds Note This is the third book in The Rising Storm Series. The first book is Darkening Horizons. The second book is Rolling Thunder. I would rate this story Moderate, for some action violence and scary scenes. It does not have any mature content . The dark is rising;how can any light survive? 02:00, July 17, 2014 (UTC) Chapter 1 The Argument Quicksilver stretched. It had been a long, long night keeping silent vigil with Birdsong after their warrior ceremony. She snuck a look at her dear friend. They had been through so much together. Quicksilver sighed. If only she could tell Birdsong everything like she used to. Like, why she snuck out of camp at night sometimes, why she and Sweetpaw were such good friends, why she was always having bad dreams. It would be wonderful just to confide in Birdsong, to try and figure this whole mess out with her best friend in the world .. Quicksilver shook her head. No. Things were just to complicated now. She was part of a prophesy, Birdsong might be .. but then, she might not be. What if she wasn't .. and she got hurt because of one of Quicksilver's stupid mistakes. But what if she was .. and the clans got hurt because Quicksilver was too much of a coward to face her fear? Quicksilver stared at the fading stars in the lightening sky. "Oh Starclan." The silver warrior pleaded silently. "Why me? Why must I carry this burden? Why not a stronger cat?" But the stars did not answer. Quicksilver looked down, hiding the many questions whirling like a snow storm in her heart. "Rock! Firestar! Sandstorm! MOTHER! Why are you doing this? Is it my destiny to live like this? Caught in all this indecision? all this fear? I can't even tell my best friend! I can't even ask Leafpool or Jayfeather for advise! Do I have to do this all myself? I can't! I just can't!!" "What?" Birdsong asked. "Oh .. nothing. Just asking Starclan to .. help me as a warrior." Birdsong looked doubtful. "You were growling. Look, why can't we be best friends again? We used to tell each other everything! Now it seems like .. well ... You have other friends. Like I'm not important anymore. I miss you Quicksilver. I miss us!" "I miss us." Those words tore a rift in Quicksilver's heart. "No Birdsong, it's not like that! Please don't think that! You matter more then any of them! More then they ever could!" Birdsong raised an eyebrow. "Really? Even Sweetpaw? Even Ravenflight?" "Huh?" Quicksilver asked. "Ravenflight isn't a better friend then you!" Birdsong sighed. "Oh? Why have you been hanging out with him all the time?" "It's not intentional! We just keep running into each other!" Quicksilver winced as she realized that wasn't exactly true. Birdsong opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. She sniffed the wind. "Do you smell that?" Quicksilver gasped as two toms, one fluffy gray, and one scrawny and black slipped through the bramble tunnel. Chapter 2 A Friends Return Birdsong fluffed up her fur. "I'll tell Bramblestar! You make sure they don't hurt the kits!" Quicksilver nodded, then hissed at the intruders. "Don't even think about attacking!" "Who said anything about attacking young'un? We just need to speak .." The black tom broke of as his gray companion gasped, "Flossie?" Recognition filled Quicksilvers eyes. "Father!" She pressed against the gray tom. "I'm so sorry for leaving like I did! I should have told you, I was just so excited ..." "That's alright Floss." Oliver meowed, "I'm just glad you're safe." Quicksilver looked embarrassed. "Umm .. Dad, my name's ..." "Quicksilver!" Ravenflight yowled. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine!" She replied. Thunderclan became alive. Lionblaze shot out of the nursery, his mate, Cinderheart, and their two kits close behind. Bramblestar leapt down from the highledge, Birdsong close behind, and the warriors began slinking from their nests. Jayfeather hurried from his den, even the three queens, Briarlight, Squirrleflight, and Dovewing came into the open. Bramblestar froze in his tracks, staring at the black tom. "Are you who I think you are?" Graystripe shot forward. "Oh Starclan! Is this real?!" Thornclaw's lower jaw hung loose, no words forming on his lips. "Ravenpaw?" Millie whispered. Graystripe howled with joy. "Ravenpaw!!" The gray warrior shook his white flecked muzzle, a purr rumbling deep within his chest. "My friend. I never thought I'd see you again on this side of Starclan." Ravenpaw laughed a rusty, but genuinely happy laugh. "I'm stronger then you think then." His smiled faded as he scanned the camp. "But .. Where's Firestar?" Graystripe looked down. "I'm sorry Ravenpaw, but .. he walks among the stars now." Ravenpaw heaved a deep sigh. "Somehow, I knew it. I kept hoping, hoping for .. Well hoping I was wrong. But somehow, I knew it." He shook himself. "Who is leader now?" "I am." Bramblestar stepped forward, powerful muscles rippling beneath his tabby pelt. Ravenpaw started, shock and dismay filling his eyes. Bramblestar's amber eyes showed something between shame and sadness. "I know what you're thinking Ravenpaw. But I do not follow my fathers pawsteps." Ravenpaw bowed his head. "I am sorry Bramblestar, you always were the noblest warrior I ever met. I just thought .. well you know, about Graystripe .. Oh well. I see I have some catching up to do. What I came here to ask was, may I join Thunderclan? Being a loner, well I lived that way for Barley, but now that he's gone .. I just .. I can't. I need to be around other cats." Bramblestar blinked. "Of course. It's the least I can do, you know, considering the circumstances." Chapter 3 Oliver's Story Quicksilver meanwhile, was having a discussion with Oliver. "I had this dream you see, about mother. She told me to follow my heart. This is my clan, my home. I wouldn't give it up for anything. I shouldn't have run off like I did, I should have told you." Oliver looked upset. "But .. but I really missed you. I was so sure you'd come back with me!" Quicksilver bit her lip. "I am sorry, truly sorry. I've missed you too .. but this is .. well, it's my place. I have friends here, and a purpose. I always wanted adventure, and now I've got it. You'll always be my father, and I'll always love you .. but I'm my own cat now. I'm a warrior. I'm Quicksilver. Oliver sighed. "I understand. And you know what? You're right. Quicksilver eh? It suits you, much more then Flossie even did. From the time you're mother entrusted you to me, when you were just a tiny kit, I knew you were special." The gray tom got a faraway look in his eyes. "Your mother. You are very like her, daughter. So much so, that when a cat looks into your eyes, they can see Hollyleaf staring out at them. Oh I know her eyes were green, but you have her spirit." Quicksilver couldn't help the tears that sprang to her eyes. She had been so young when Hollyleaf had left, she hardly knew anything about her. "Father .. what was mother like?" Oliver looked down. "She was independent, loyal, brave, and beautiful, very beautiful. Very much like you actually. In fact it wasn't until she left, that I realized just how brave she was .." Quicksilver didn't stop her father's story, she just listened to him, drinking in every word about her mother. The mother she hardly knew. Oliver looked out into the woods, and began his tale .. "I was so happy when she brought our kits to my twoleg nest. But then she told me she had to leave. Had to go home. I pleaded with her, but she was not to be wavered from her decision. I walked with her to the edge of my garden, when she stopped, and turned to face me. "Oliver" She meowed, "We'll never see each other again, I don't imagine, but whatever happens, I want you to know that you saved me. You saved my life. You saved my soul. You saved the real me from the hateful, bitter cat I could and would have become." She pressed against me purring, "I love you Oliver. As long as I live, whether among mortals or stars, I will always love you." She pulled away and looked at me, her eyes filled with so many things she wanted to say, so many things left unsaid. "Take care of our daughters." As she plodded off, I called, "Hollyleaf!" She looked back, her eyes full. "I love you too!" I choked. "May you find whatever you're looking for!" She smiled through her tears. "May Starclan light your path my love!" Then she turned .. and never looked back. Every day, I'd sit there. Watching. Hoping. But she never came back." Oliver lapsed into silence after his long reminisce. Chapter 4 A Bad Dream Quicksilver padded up to Bramblestar, who was still talking to Ravenpaw. She waited until they reached a break in their conversation, then politely interrupted. "Bramblestar? A moment of your time?" "Of course." the tabby cat responded. "The gray cat, who came with Ravenpaw, is my father, Oliver." Bramblestar nodded, then padded toward the fluffy gray tom. Quicksilver's mouth opened in a wide yawn as Lionblaze called, "Quicksilver! I need you on the patrols!" The silver warrior hurried to Lionblaze, yawning all the way. "Whitewing, Birchfall, Blossomfall! Take the Windclan border and the Skyclan border .." Quicksilver wasn't really listening. She yawned, realizing how tired she was. It must have been her third yawn or something, because Lionblaze noticed it. "Are you tired Quicksilver?" "Well I was keeping silent vigil last night." Amid the laughter that erupted, Lionblaze corrected himself. "Oh right. There's been so much excitement I'd forgotten. You're excused." Quicksilver padded toward her den, only to remember she was a warrior now, and headed for the warriors den. When she got there, Birdsong was already asleep. Quicksilver sighed and curled up next to her friend, letting herself fall into deep repose. Quicksilver wandered through a forest. In the back of her mind, she knew she was dreaming, but she was to curious to wake herself up. Some cat was calling her. Quicksilver yowled, "Who are you? Are you ok?" The cat cried again, making Quicksilver shudder. The yowl was a bone chilling sound, the sound of a cat in dire pain and agony. "Do you need help?" Quicksilver tried to find the poor creature, but to no avail. Suddenly she felt a pull on her foot, and snarled. A bramble was tangled around her leg. Quicksilver pulled and strained against it, to no use. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. She was laying in the warriors den beside Birdsong. Quicksilver sighed. She tried to go back to sleep, but the cries of the specter cat kept haunting her. With a resigned grunt, Quicksilver hauled herself to her feet and slipped out of the den. Chapter 5 An Evening Stroll The sun was beginning it's descent in the western sky. Quicksilver stretched, watching her breath make a frosty cloud in the cold air. She sighed. The dream cat and it's horrible howling followed her out of dreamland and into the waking world. Quicksilver shook herself. She was just to tense, and there was only one thing that could calm her nerves. A nice quiet walk beside the lake, maybe watching the sun turn the lake red, maybe a nice swim .. Quicksilver hurried out of camp to do just that. Quicksilver padded along the lakeshore, enjoying the frosty bite of the evening air. The only thing that could make this walk any better was if Ravenflight was with her ... As if her thoughts had summoned him, his voice hollered, "Quicksilver! Hey Quicksilver! Wait up!" She turned to see the black warrior pelting towards her. "Hi! Where did you come from?" Quicksilver asked. "Patrol." Ravenflight's green eyes were laughing. "And guess what?" "No point in that, just tell me." "Lilybreeze tripped and fell into a bunch of foxdung!" "How did she manage that?" Quicksilver laughed. "She was strutting." Her black friend explained. Quicksilver sighed, trying to keep her giggles down. "For Molefur's benefit, no doubt?" "Yep!" Both cats were having a good laugh, when a bone chilling howl, just like in Quicksilver's dream, rang over the lake. "Did you hear that?" Quicksilver whispered. "I did." Ravenflight's eyes were worried. "It sounds like a cat, and whoever it is, they're in trouble! Come on, we have to help them!" But warriors pelted down the lakeshore toward what they judged to be the source of the howls, which continued relentlessly. Chapter 6 Of Death and Life Quicksilver, who was ahead of Ravenflight, saw the source of the commotion first. She skidded to a stop, horrified. It was Squirrleflight. The fiery ginger queen lay in a pool of blood. At first, Quicksilver thought Squirrleflight had been attacked, but then a spasm shook her, and Quicksilver understood. Squirrleflight was kitting. Quicksilver ran to her clan mate. "Squirrleflight!" The she-cats green eyes snapped open. "Oh thank Starclan! Quicksilver, go get Jayfeather!" Panic washed over Quicksilver. There was so much blood, that couldn't be right at all. "But Jayfeather is collecting herbs with Leafpool! I don't where they went!" Squirrleflight groaned. "Then get Cinderheart!" Quicksilver yowled, "Ravenflight, get down here! Get Squirrleflight some water or something!" Without waiting for his answer, she hared of inland, toward Thunderclans camp. Cinderheart was watching her kits, Blazekit and Rainkit, and Dovewing's, Mistkit, Icekit, and Frostkit play together. She was about to drift off to sleep, when Quicksilver shot through the bramble tunnel, stumbled over the kits, and sprawled to the ground. "Why Quicksilver? Whatever's the matter?" Cinderheart asked. "Squirrleflight! By the lake! She's kitting! Something is wrong! I think .." Cinderheart seemed frozen. "Oh no." She murmured. "Not again." Quicksilver gasped, "You've got to get down there! There isn't time to waste!" Cinderheart bolted into action. "Briarlight, watch the kits! Quicksilver, find Jayfeather. If you can, get Bramblestar! The last I heard he was at the training hollow!" The gray cat dove into Jayfeather's den. Quicksilver didn't wait for her to come out. She pelted off into Thunderclan's woodlands. "Please Starclan, let me find Jayfeather!" Quicksilver pleaded silently. She had been running for a little while, Trying to pick up the medicine cats' trail, when she nearly ran strait into Jayfeather. "Watch where you're going." The blind cat meowed crossly. "What's the rush?" Leafpool purred around a mouthful of leaves. Quicksilver gasped, trying to regain her wind. "It's Squirrel .. Squirrelflight! By the .. the lake! Something is wrong .. but Cinderheart's there .." Jayfeather yowled, "Get down there Leafpool!" Before he himself took of as fast as his blindness would permit. Quicksilver flopped to the ground, her sides heaving. She was enjoying a few deep breaths, when her keen ears picked up the sound of feline voices. Quicksilver forced herself to her feet. Bramblestar! She heard Bramblestar! She ran toward the noise, yowling her leaders name. Because of the dense undergrowth, she did not see the tabby tom before she slammed into him. Bramblestar grunted as he crumpled to the ground. "Uummfff! Why Quicksilver? What's all this?" "Yea Quicksilver! Are you pretending to be a twoleg monster?" Dewpaw joked in his usual teasing way. "No! It's Squirrelflight! She's kitting!" Bramblestar leapt to his paws. "Oh No! Show me where Quicksilver!" The sun was setting when Quicksilver and Bramblestar pelted down to the shore. "Which way?" Thunderclan's leader gasped. "Uummm .." Quicksilver stuttered, when she heard a high pitched squeak. Bramblestar heard it too, and hared off in the direction. As they crested a slight ridge, the saw the source of the noise. Squirrelflight lay where she had fallen, but her distressing wails had stopped. Leafpool was gently licking her sisters ears, while Jayfeather desperately tried to help the ginger queen. Cinderheart and Ravenflight were licking four tiny kits, who were mewling piteously. As Bramblestar fell to the ground beside his mate, Leafpool respectfully stepped back. Quicksilver hurried to Ravenflight. He passed a ginger and white she-kit to her. "Here, lick." As Quicksilver obeyed, Jayfeather cried, "Just one more Squirrelflight!" There was a yowl from Squirrelflight, and Leafpool picked up a flame colored kit. "Squirrelflight! Don't leave me!" Bramblestar sobbed. Quicksilver's eyes widened. Was Squirrelflight dying? A strangled sob from Bramblestar, and Jayfeather's shaking meow announcing, "She walks among the stars now." confirmed Quicksilver's worst fears. Her nightmare was real! Chapter 7 Watched Every cat froze. The only sounds were the lapping of wavelets and the cries of kits. Bramblestar broke the silence. He rose to his feet and gently picked up his mates lifeless body. As Thunderclans leader disappeared into the undergrowth, Leafpool picked up the ginger kit and followed him. Jayfeather heaved a deep sigh. "We should go." He meowed, blind blue eyes dull. He picked up a tiny tabby kit and plodded off, his tail drooping. Cinderheart swept up a black tom kit and nodded that Quicksilver and Ravenflight should do the same. Ravenflight picked up a tabby and white kit and padded away. Quicksilver stared at the ginger and white she-kit hiding beneath her. The kits eyes were sealed, but she looked up anyway. "Oh you are so cute!" Quicksilver purred. After all the excitement of today, it felt good to talk to the kit. "Well lets get you home .. Hey! You don't have a name yet! Now if you were mine, I'd name you something special. Your patches are like the sun .. Wait, that's it! Sunkit! Then your warrior name could be Sunset. That's a good name isn't it? And that's what I'll call you til you get your real name." 'Sunkit' clumsily batted Quicksilver's nose with a tiny paw. "Aww you like that don't you Sunkit? Well let's go home." After all that had happened, home seemed like the best place in the world. ><>< Unknown to Quicksilver, or anyone else, two black eyes had watched the whole episode. Their owner gave a satisfied huff. He had got what he'd come for. His master would be pleased. Chapter 8 A Hidden Enemy It had been five sunrises since the death of Squirrelflight, and Bramblestar had not been himself. He had sorrowfully named Lionblaze deputy, but afterward, retreated to his den. Clan life continued as always, but a shadow had darkened Thunderclan's doorway. A shadow of doubt. Ravenpaw and Oliver pitched in, helping with patrols and hunting, but Quicksilver's clan mates were worried. Worried about their leader. ><>< Quicksilver stretched. She padded from her den into the frosty pre-dawn light. She headed for the nursery. It had become her custom to visit there before the dawn patrol, because for some reason, she wanted to see that little ginger and white she-kit. Why? Well Quicksilver wasn't quite sure, but maybe it was because she too had lost her mother at a young age. "So I suppose you'd like to see your little friend eh?" Cinderheart asked as a tiny ginger and white head popped out of the nest. "What's her name?" Quicksilver asked, hoping it was Sunkit. Cinderheart was noncommittal. "We will learn her name as she grows." Quicksilver looked up sharply. "You mean Bramblestar still hasn't named them?" Cinderheart's purr didn't match her eyes. "Well, it's been hard for him. So I guess he's waiting." Quicksilver stared into her tiny unnamed friend's Azul eyes. "Sunkit. Her name should be Sunkit." Cinderheart blinked. "That's a good name, but ultimately it's Bramblestar's decision." "Oh I understand that, it's just .. well .. Sunkit fits her." Quicksilver padded out of the nursery, her thoughts in a muddle. She didn't see Lionblaze until he called to her. "Quicksilver!" Even though his voice was hushed, it was urgent. "Follow me." The tom ducked into Bramblestar's den, and Quicksilver padded in after him, instantly noticing Bramblestar's absence. Lionblaze cleared his throat. "Quicksilver, you are close to Bramblestar, yes?" Quicksilver was confused. "Well .. I suppose so. He is almost like a father to me, and I think he trusts me more then the other young warriors." Lionblaze nodded. "I'm trusting you to keep a level head. And to keep your mouth shut. The rest of the clan must not know what I'm about to tell you." "Well .. alright .. I guess .." Quicksilver stammered. "Good. Now last night, I saw Bramblestar leave camp. I thought he was just taking a walk, and went to bed. But he hasn't come back. And that's not all. The last few days he's not been acting .. normal. He hasn't been eating or grooming, hasn't shown any interest in anything. He hasn't hardly been talking to me even .." Quicksilver broke in. "So he's very depressed, to the point that he might not .." She winced. "Might not want to live anymore." Lionblaze coughed. "So it would seem." "But the important thing now is, where is he?" Quicksilver guessed. Lionblaze cocked his head. "You're a smart one Quicksilver. Now look. I want you to get Ravenflight, Birdsong, and Bumblestripe. I can't leave camp at the moment, but you four will scour the forest before I send out the morning patrols. Report to me if you find anything." Quicksilver dipped her head. "Yes Lionblaze. I'll do my best." It hadn't took long round up the three warriors Lionblaze had specified. Bumblestripe had suggested they split up, so now Quicksilver walked alone, her senses alert. It was getting late in the morning before she picked up a scent. Bramblestar. But it was overlaid with something else. A sickly sour smell. Quicksilver recognized it immediately, wishing desperately she hadn't. It was the smell of death. Quicksilver broke into a run. Maybe it wasn't too late! Maybe Bramblestar would .. be .. OK .. As she skidded to a halt in a clearing, all her hopeful thought vanished. There lay Bramblestar, quite dead. His fur was fluffed out, and his claws extended, but it was his eyes that frightened Quicksilver the most. Even though those amber depths were dull, they were stretched wide with fear. Whoever had done this had terrified Thunderclans leader, one of the bravest cats Quicksilver had ever known. As she took a good look around, another disturbing thought entered her mind. To her knowledge, Bramblestar had only lost two lives ... Quicksilver felt her fur stand strait. That meant her leader had still had seven lives ... and Bramblestar was most definitely dead. Chapter 9 A Lurking Shadow But Thunderclan wasn't the only clan to loose a cat that day. Onestar surveyed his faithful deputy's body with dismay. What had begun as a normal day in WindClan was turning out to be one of the worst days in Onestar's life. "What happened?" he snapped. Crowfeather, who had been leading the patrol that discovered Ashfoot's murder, winced. "I don't exactly know, Onestar, we just found her that way. She'd been dead for quite some time." Onestar didn't doubt him. Ashfoot was stiff and cold. He looked away. "WindClan will not let this wrong go un-righted, but for now we need a new deputy." Onestar paused reluctantly. "I say these words over the body of Ashfoot, so that her spirit may hear and approve my choice. Crowfeather will be the next deputy of WindClan." As he stalked away, leaving a stunned Crowfeather in his wake, Onestar snuck a last look at Ashfoot. Her claws were out, her fur on end, and her eyes were wide with terror. TBC~ I used to be a serious Fanfic writer .... Then I learned Coding 19:04, August 18, 2014 (UTC) Category:Fanfiction Series Category:Fan Fictions Category:Sayna's Fan Fictions